


The best gift

by Ephy



Series: Street rat [12]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 12:36:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5540216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ephy/pseuds/Ephy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Jason's first Christmas at the manor. And Christmas means gifts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The best gift

**Author's Note:**

> Well, it's been a while. And then, an idea popped into my mind this morning, so here we are :)

Jason stood at the kitchen’s entrance, not sure he should actually go in. Alfred must have spotted him and certainly wondered what he was doing there, not passing by nor getting in, but he was ignoring him to continue baking those horrendous Santa cookies that would be given to the orphans from St Rita’s for Christmas. The first batch was cooling on the counter; the whole kitchen smelled of sugar and melted butter.

Alfred opened the oven to launch the second batch, then aligned the decoration on the kitchen table.

“Would you like to help, Master Jason?” the old butler asked without glancing in Jason’s direction.

The teenager shrugged.

“I’m not a kid, you know?”

“Neither am I, as I’m sure you didn’t fail to notice.”

Fair enough. Jason finally stepped inside, pretending that wouldn’t mean he was going to ask his damn question. Instead, he helped spreading a white sugary top on Santa’s bread and glowing red chocolate on his hat. That didn’t help making the cookies any less ugly, but he guessed that was the spirit of Christmas. Or something.

Alfred pointedly wasn’t asking questions. Jason was discovering it was worse than if he had. He knew the butler knew he hadn’t come to him just to help him with the damn cookies. So why wasn’t him asking anything?

Well, Alfred had raised _Bruce_ , after all. Of course he knew all the tricks.

The decorations were soon done and they were left with nothing to do but to wait for the second batch to be ready. Maybe they could have started a third batch, actually, but Alfred seemed to decide this was a good moment for a break and put the kettle on.

Jason fetched two cups while the butler prepared the teapot. They both sat at the kitchen table, and waited. The water started boiling shortly later; Alfred poured it in the teapot, and there was some more silent waiting. Then he decided the tea must be ready and served it in the two cup.

Jason stared into his. It was steamy hot. He tightened his lips.

More silence.

“Am I supposed to find him a present?” Jason blurted out.

“I shall expect so”, Alfred answered, unfazed. “Not that he would mind if you didn’t, but Christmas is about reciprocation, among other things.”

“ _What_ am I supposed to give him? He’s a _billionaire_. He has everything!”

Alfred gave him a long look, not belligerent enough to be a glare, yet too hard to be purely contemplative. Jason didn’t flinch. It was _true_ , after all.

Alfred sipped his tea, frowning when he found it still too hot.

“You have lots of imagination. I am quite sure you will be able to come up with something.”

Jason rolled his eyes. If that had been the case, he wouldn’t be there in the first place, would he?

When he’d first realized they would have an actual Christmas, with a tree and gifts, he had been delighted. He remembered vaguely they had done something similar with his parents when he was a kid but – that had been a long time ago. The last four years before his mum died, they had been no real gifts but homemade crap; the last two, there hadn’t even been a tree. And then he had lived in the streets, alone, and Christmas had only meant more leftovers from restaurants.

But here, at Wayne Manor? Bruce had taken him along to buy a gigantic fir. They had helped Alfred decorating it. It had taken the whole afternoon.

Then Jason had realized Christmas didn’t mean just receiving stuff, but _giving_ it, too. He had managed to find nice garden gloves to replace Alfred’s which were starting to get old.

But Bruce? Bruce had _money_. What did someone buy to a billionaire?

“You’re not helping”, Jason sighed. Then he tightened his lips once more. He had to ask. “What did _Grayson_ buy him, the first time?”

Alfred cast him another look, one of his ‘you aren’t Dick Grayson and you shouldn’t try to be’ ones, as if. But then he put his cup back on the table and nodded.

“It was a silly thing, I remember. One of those nice Christmas sweaters. Red and white, with little reindeers. Then of course Master Bruce had to wear it the next day, or Master Richard would have been so sad – so he said.”

Jason gaped. Then started laughing.

“And he actually _did?_ Are there _pictures?_ ”

Alfred arched an eyebrow.

“Of course there are.”

They spent the rest of their break watching pictures.

 

On Christmas day, Bruce received a very small box, which he opened trying not to show any sign of curiosity. He froze when he saw what was inside: a small plushy bat with a suction pad.

The card specified: ‘for the car’.

**Author's Note:**

> For once, it wasn't even depressing ;)


End file.
